Closure cap and package



' May 10, 1938. w. P. wHvn-E l CLOSUE CAP AND PACKAGE Filed Jan. 2. 195e Patented Mayl 1o, 1938 `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,116,938 cLosUaE CAP AND PACKAGE' William P. White, Glencoe, Ill., assignor to White Cap Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of' Delaware Application January 2, 1936, Serial No. 57,119

` 6 Claims. (Cl. 215-7) A primary object of the invention is the provision of a package having a removable closure or stopper, of tamper-proof character, in that the stopper or closure cannot be removed without showing plainly that it has been, and certain features of the closure are permanently destroyed incident to lts'remeval, thereby preventing its re-use in the original condition, although permitting the continued use of the closure as an effective stopper for the container.

Another object is the provision of such a closure which will form an hermetic seal on an appropriate container, and which is not subject to deterioration with age or from contact with the packaged material.

Yet another object is the provision of such a closure which may be manufactured economically, applied to the container with facility, and removedv without requiring the use of a special implement.

lYet another object is the provision of such a closure which is neat and ornamental in appearance and which may bemanipulated with facility in removing it from and re-applying it to the container.

Other and further objects will be pointedV out or indicated hereinafter, or will be apparent upon an understanding of the invention r its employment in use.

For the purpose of making clear the nature of the invention, I showin the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and hereinafter describe, one form of closure cap embodying the invention, but it is to be understood,`how ever. that this is presented merely for purpose of illustration and that the invention may be availed of in other and modified forms Without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In said drawing Fig. l is an elevational view, partly in section, illustrating a closure cap adapted for use on a.

bottle or the like;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of same;

Fig. 3 is anA elevational view, partly in section, of la sealing cap'constituting an element of the structure illustrated inFig. l;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a, holding member constituting'an element of the structure illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the upper portion of a package comprising a container with a closure of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 secured thereto;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation corresponding to Fig. 5 and showing the relationship of the closure and container after the former has been detached 5 'from the latter as in process of being removed from or replaced on the container; and

Fig. '1 is a sectional elevation of a modified form of closure embodying the invention.

For the packaging of liquors or other commod- 10 ities it is frequently desirable to employ a package of such character that it may be immediately ascertained whether or not it has been opened.

It is quite desirable that the closure or stopper for the container be of such character that it may be continued in use, after its initial removal, to form an eiective closure for the container, and that it be susceptible of subsequent re-application and removal to permit dispensing of portions of the packaged contents from time to time. Heretofore various devices intended to serve this purpose have been provided, same including a stopper, of cork or the like, and a sheath which envelops the cork and is secured to the container, such sheath being severable more or less readily to permit access to the stopper for removal thereof. Such devices do not adequately fulfill their purpose due to the fact that the sheaths are of relatively simple character and separable from the stopper, thus permitting the package to be restored to its original and unopened appearance simply by the application of a new sheath to the container and the original stopper.

The present invention provides a closure in which the sealing element is of distinctive character and is permanently a part of the sheath which has to be mutilated in the opening of the package in the first instance. Thus the closure is entirely incapacitated for re-application to the container in simulation of the original unopened condition of the package, although it may be continued in use as an effective closure Afor the container.

The nature of the invention will be more fully ascertained from a. detailed understanding of the embodiment illustrated in the drawing,4 which will lnow be described.

As seen in Fig. 1, the closure comprises a sheath member l0, a sealing closure I|. having a sleeve gasket I2 therein, and a holding member 50 i4. The sealing closure, which is illustrated in Fig. 3, comprises a cap or shell formedof a suitably strong resilient sheet metal having an interior coating of a suitable lacquer or other material which will effectively resist the action of the 56 material which is to be packaged. This shell has a top pmel I5, which is domed upwardly in its central part, and a peripheral skirt or flange portion depending from the top panel, the lower portion I6 of said skirt or ange aring outwardly and the upper portion I1 belngsubstantially cylindrical or otherwise formed on a smaller diameter than the flaring portion I6. The lower marglnal portion of the skirt is turned inwardly to form a, flange I8 which covers the lower edge of the gasket I2.

The gasket I2 is of sleeve form and is made of a suitable soft but strongly elastic material, such as rubber. It is held under circumferential constriction or compression by the skirt of the shell, so that it conforms to the contour thereof in the flaring portion IB, extending somewhat above the lower limit ofthe holding portion I1 but having lts upper margin spaced from .the top panel I5.

'I'he sheath I0 is formed of a softer or more readily severable material such as light sheet aluminum. vIt is considerably deeper than the shell of the sealing closure I I and is of internal diameter such as to receive the same sn'ugly. It has a top portion 20 from which depends an annular skirt, said skirt being formed with flutes 2| which extend for the greater portion of its depth from-the top portion, leaving the lower portion 23 in cylindrical form. The inwardly offset portions of said flutes terminate at sloping surfaces 22'which are inclined inwardly and upwardly at the same angle as the flaring portion IG of the sealing closure.

The holding member I4 is in the form of a at metal plate of generally circular outline and of size such as to be received within the sheath I0, and is provided with projections 24 adapted to interengage with portions of the utes 2|, whereby the member I4 is held against rotation within the sheath. Preliminary to insertion of the holdlng member into the sheath, a drop of solder 25 is applied to the central portion of its under surface.

In assembling the closure from the parts above described, the sheath is placed in inverted position, the holding member I4 is inserted into the sheath so that it comes to rest against the inner surface of the sheath top, and the sealing closure II is then inserted into the sheath until its domed top portion comes into contact with the drop of solder 25. Heat is then applied to the domed portion over the drop of solder, fusing the latter and soldering the sealing closure shell to the holding member I4.

The sheath is then subjected to a punching or slotting operation by which portions of its skirt adjacent the marginal flange I8 of the. sealing closure shell are partially severed and bent inwardly against and across said ange I8, forming retaining elements 26 which serve to clamp the sealing closure securely and permanently in the sheathing member, with the flaring portion I8 ln abutment with the sloping portions 22 and the holding member I4 in abutment with the sheath top 20.

'Ihis forms in the skirt of the sheath a series4 of apertures 21 running circumferentially thereof at an appropriate distance above its lower margin. Said apertures are separated by narrow strands 28 of the sheath metal, which strands constitute the sole remaining connection between the cylindrical lower portion of the sheath skirt and the uted upper portion in which the sealing closure is ipermanently secured.

The closure is thus in condition for applicaed gasket drical peripheral sealing surface 30 which is ofV a diameter somewhat smaller than the internal' diameter of the holding portion I1 and the flange I8 of the sealing closure and the lower margin of the gasket I2, but substantially larger than the internal diameter of the balance of the constrict- I2. The container is also provided with a peripheral ledge 3| which is of a diameter such-as to t within the lower cylindrical portion 23 of the closure sheath. This ledge 3| is spaced from the mouth rim of the container by a distance which slightly exceeds the depth of the sealing closure skirt.

After the container has received its contents the-closure is placed upon its mouth, the mouth rim entering slightly within the lowermost flaring portion of the gasket I2. Downward pressure is then applied to the top of the closure, forcing it to seated positionl on the container, in which position the lower limit of thc sealing closure shell is slightly above the ledge 3| and the top panel I5 is in contact with the mouth rim of the container, as seen in Fig. 5. In this forcing of the closure to seated position, the pressure applied to the top of the sheath is transmitted directly to the top of the sealing closure shell, and also, through the medium of the flutes 2|, to the flaring portion I 6 of the sealing closure shell. The downward movement of the closure relative to the container causes a wedging action to be exerted upon the elastic gasket, causing it to be elongated upwardly along the holding portion I1 and placing it under high compression between said portion and the sealing surface 3l of the container. Thus a strong hermetic seal is formed between the container and the closure.

Such seating of the closure upon the container brings the lower margin of the sheath skirt to a position somewhat 'below the peripheral ledge 3|, and the lower portion of the sheath skirt is then spun or flanged inwardly under the ledge, thus locking the closure to the container. The package is thus hermetically sealed and cannot be opened without obvious mutilation.

In order to open the package,. the narrow strands 28 are severed, as with a knife or other thin object, Since these strands occupy a position between flange I8 and the ledge 3|, the severing of them is easily accomplished by inward pressure, and the severed margins are bent inwardly against the upper surface of the ledge 3| and the lower surface of the ange I8, as seen lin Fig. 6. After the strands 28 are severed, the

' onto the mouth of the container, where the compression of the gasket holds it securely in place. Re-application and subsequent removal of the closure are facilitated by giving it a rotary movement, and this manipulation is facilitated by the depth and iluting of the sheath. In such operation the sealing closure is positively held against rotation in the sheath due to the interengagement of the holding member I 4 with the flutes of the latter.

In the modied form of closure shown in Fig. 7 the sheath is designated generally by the reference numeral I0'. The sheath skirt is originally formed with two outside diameters, the upper portion of the sheath skirt being formed with the inwardly oifset ilutings 2l' as above described, and the lower portion originally being on a larger radius as shown in dotted lines at 23' and being united with the upper portion by an annular oiset portion 3|. At its lower margin the skirt of thesealing cap is formed with anoutwardly extending fold 32 of a diameter such as to be received within the lower portion 23' of the skirt and bear upon the oiset portion 3| when the top of the sealing cap is In the form shown in this figure, the top of the sealing cap is iiat, not domed as in the form above described, and the holding member is dished so that the central portion will abut the ilat top of the sealing cap when the upper margin of the peripheral ang'e 40 of the holding member is in abutment with the top of the sheath. Thus ange Ill aligns with the upper skirt portion Ila of the sealing cap, forming a strut through which down- Ward pressure may be transmitted from the top of the sheath to the sealing cap.v The iiange l0 is provided with the outwardly extending projections 24' which engage between the flutingsv 2| of the sheath, for the purpose above described,

' and the holding member is iixedly secured to the sealing cap as above described; It will be apparent that this dat-topped form of sealing cap and dished holding member may be used in the form of sheath illustrated in Fig. 1.

After the sealing cap has thus been positioned in the sheath, the lower portion 23' of the latter is bent inwardly under the outwardly extending fold 32 of the sealing cap to clamp the foldv against the offset portion 3i. The lower portion 23' of the sheath is retained in cylindrical form, as shown in the full line position in Fig. 7, and is punched at intervals, as above described, to form the retaining elements 26' which are bent inwardly into contact with the marginal flange I8 of the sealing cap. Such punching forms the narrow severable elements as above described. This modied form of closure .is applied and aixed to the container as above described, and is operable for removal and re-application in the manner above described.

What I claim js:

1. A closure for packing containers comprising, in combination, a sheath having a top portion and depending peripheral skirt, a seallng cap housed in the sheath and having a top portion and aperlpheral skirt depending therefrom, which 60 cap skirt has an outwardly projecting portion,

said sheath having inwardly projecting portions engaging the skirt of the sealing cap to retain the latter permanently in the sheath, said sheath skirt also being formed with inwardly oiset flutings extending from its top portion downwardly into overlying engagement with the outwardly extending portion of the cap skirt, the .lower portion of the sheath skirt being adapted to be telescoped onto and bent into retentive engagement with a container, said lower portion of the sheath skirt being connected with the balance thereof by narrow readily severable portions spaced from one another circumferentially of the sheath.

2. A closure for packing containers comprising, in combination, a sealing closure having a top portion and a downwardly extending sealing element of elastic sealing material, a sheath housing said sealing closure, said sheath including a depending peripheral skirt having inwardly extending portions engaging the sealing closure to retain it in the sheath, a lower portion of said sheath skirt being adapted to be telescoped onto and bent into retentive engagement with a packing container, said lower portion of the sheath skirt being connected tothe balance thereof by.

narrow severable portions spaced from one another circumferentially of the sheath, and a holding member iixedly connected with the sealing closure and having engagement with the sheath effective to prevent rotation of the sheath relative to the sealing closure.

3. A closure as specied in claim 2 and wherein the sheath skirt has inwardly oiset portions and said holding memberhas interfitting engagement with said olset portions.

4. A closure for packing containers comprising, in combination, a sealing cap having a top portion and depending peripheral skirt, a sheath housing said sealing cap and including a peripheral skirt having inwardly bent portions engaging under the lower margin of said cap skirt to retain said sealing cap permanently in the sheath, said sheath having inwardly offset portions above said inwardly bent portions, and a holding member iixedly connected with the sealing cap and engaging said inwardly offset portions of the sheath to hold the sheath against rotation relative to the sealing cap.

5. A closure as specified in claim 4 and wherein the holding member is of dished form and is inr terposed between the top of the sealing cap and the top of the sheath and includes an annular flange extending from the top of the sheath to the top of the sealing cap for transmitting pressure from the former to the latter.

6. A closure as specied in claim 4 and wherein the holding member comprises a plate disposed" (llll 

